We launched the first call for proposals for grants for innovative solutions under the I3FLOAT project!

I3FLOAT is a European initiative funded under the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) instrument by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) on behalf of the European Commission. The project supports innovation and SMEs to strengthen the European value chain in the floating offshore wind sector.

The call is open to SMEs developing innovative solutions for the floating offshore wind sector, whose projects are close to commercialization (TRL 6–8) and address the technological challenges identified by the industry and the I3FLOAT consortium.

Key information:

  • Application deadline: November 10, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CET
  • Total available budget: 2.52 million euros
  • Funding per SME: up to 60,000 euros
  • Funding per project: up to 120,000 euros for projects involving two SMEs from different eligible regions
  • Project duration: up to 12 months
  • In addition to financial support, selected SMEs will receive access to services in the areas of networking and business development, financial advisory services, and services related to the commercialization of research results.

Regional Eligibility

Applicants must be SMEs headquartered in one of the eligible regions represented in the I3FLOAT ecosystem, be members of an I3FLOAT cluster partner, or be headquartered in a European Less Developed Region (LDR), an outermost region, or an overseas territory.

Regions eligible to participate in the consortium are:

  • Spain: Andalusia, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Madrid, and Navarre
  • France: Sud-PACA, Occitanie, Brittany, and Île-de-France
  • Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Poland: all regions
  • Portugal: Santarém
  • Croatia: Primorje-Gorski Kotar
  • Slovakia: Nitra

In addition, SMEs located in less developed regions (LDRs) throughout Europe are also eligible. Projects involving at least one SME from a less developed region receive additional points during the evaluation process. It is worth noting that most of Poland’s territory is classified as a less developed region (LDR), which automatically guarantees submitted proposals additional bonus points in the evaluation.

Challenges

Projects must propose an innovation aligned with one of the 44 priority innovation areas defined in the Strategic Innovation Agenda for offshore floating wind farms, referred to as “Open Challenges,” or address one of the 11 specific challenges proposed by leading industry representatives, including Iberdrola, EDF Power Solutions, Navantia Seanergies, Qair Group, Saitec Offshore Technologies, EOLINK, EnerOcean S.L., AVENTA, CoreMarine, GEODIS, and TETRACE.

Additional Information and Application Materials

More information about the first open call, including challenge descriptions and application materials, can be found on the I3FLOAT website: https://claner.es/i3float/open-calls/

We invite you to attend the consortium’s webinar on the first I3FLOAT open call, which will take place on September 15 at 10:00 a.m. Registration: https://my.weezevent.com/webinar-i3float

The Wind Industry Hub serves as the point of contact for Polish applicants. If you have any questions, please contact Michał Forycki: email: m.forycki@windindustry.pl, phone: +48 572 352 141